Sewage spill shuts down water activities at Lake Accotink

SPRINGFIELD, Va. — Fairfax County Wastewater Management is immediately shutting down all lake activities at Lake Accotink after identifying a sewage spill upstream. 

Wastewater Management announced the closure out of an abundance of caution. Canoeing, kayaking and swimming will not be available until the closures are lifted. The closures will stay in place until bacterial testing of the water is underway and updated.

The results of the testing are expected to update within 24 hours, and authorities expect closures to last at least through Saturday evening. Once the results are in, Fairfax County will determine whether it is safe to resume water activities. The testing will continue to update over the next several days to ensure the safety of resuming lake activities.

Lake Accotink is part of a 476-acre park, home to family-friendly outdoor activities, both on land and in the water. The park has trail systems, waterfront activities and picnic areas. The park also hosts myriad classes, camps and special events. Wastewater Management is not shutting down the park altogether, as land activities, even those near the lake, may continue. 

It is unclear how this will affect Fairfax County dredging efforts in the area. In 2019, Fairfax County staff proposed a plan to dredge 350,000 cubic yards of sediment, pump it to Wakefield Park to be dried, and then removed. The cost of the plan was $30 million. The dredging plan was set to begin this summer, but the Fairfax County website states that construction is on-hold. Whether the sewage spill has anything to do with holding off the dredging efforts is unclear, but unlikely. 

While water activities have been shut down, there has been no statement from Fairfax County on changes to dredging plans for the next few days.